Out now: Bowerbirds' The Clearing creates harmony from heartbreak

This third album by couple Beth Tacular and Philip Moore along with producer and multi-instrumentalist Mark Paulson is a pleasant continuation of the same indie folk the band has been turning out since 2006. However the new record’s easygoing vibe didn’t come without a price.

Prior to recording, Tacular and Moore actually ended their longtime relationship and stayed broken up for over a year. Then, after Tacular was stricken with a serious illness that sent her to the hospital, the former lovers rejoined forces after an emotional scene at Beth’s bedside.

“I looked in his [Moore’s] eyes and realized he was scared and I was scared, and it kind of made me realize Phil really does love me and I really do love Phil,” Tacular said.

Fortunately most finished tracks seem to ignore these dour circumstances and focus instead on feelings of renewal. “Walk the Furrows” features lines about “mending fences” and “dropping dead weight,” while “Overcome with Light” includes optimistic double-tracked vocals from Moore and Tacular over a sporadic guitar strum.

Watch a short video about the making of “The Clearing” by the Bowerbirds here:

Occasionally some lyrics can be heavy-handed (“We used to see the forest / now we only see the trees”). But as a solitary piano toll closes the finale “Now We Hurry On,” many listeners will long for the band’s continued prosperity and quick return.